Mulefa
The mulefa (singular zalif) were a species of sentient beings. They were notable for their use of seed pods as wheels and their ability to see Dust with the naked eye. Mary Malone became part of a mulefa society when she travelled to their world. History The mulefa species gained consciousness around 33,000 years ago, at a similar time to humans, when they encountered Dust. The Mulefa were enemies of the Tualapi, another species in the mulefa world. Biology Anatomy Having evolved in a radically different way to humans, the mulefa had an anatomy based on a diamond-framed skeleton lacking a spine, with a limb at each of the corners. The front and back legs ended in spurs. The most notable feature of the mulefa was their use of seed pods as wheels. Once a zalif reached puberty, they were able to fit their spurs into the disc-shaped pods, and propelled themselves along "roads" of solidified lava with their side legs. They had a symbiotic relationship with the wheel-trees. Their use of the pods on the "roads" allowed the extremely hard exterior to crack and the seeds to emerge. These were germinated by the mulefa, allowing the wheel-pod trees to survive. The mulefa had prehensile trunks which were about as long as the arm of an adult female human. The trunk ended in two finger-like projections, and they were able to vary the tone of the skin in this area from soft to rough to accomplish different tasks. The eyes of the mulefa were able to perceive Dust. Diet Mulefa were omnivorous, consuming both plants and meat. They farmed creatures known as "grazers" for their milk, meat and skins. They also catch fish with nets. They ground grains for flour and were able to cook bread. Culture Language The language of the Mulefa combined vocalisations with trunk-gestures to create meaning. Mary Malone likened these gestures to the tones of Chinese languages. , Appendix Known words of the language include: Kinship Mulefa recognise the kinship relations of consanguinity (parent-child relationship) and affinity (marriage). The mulefa had marriage ceremonies in which they symbolically exchanged bands of copper which were worn around the base of one of their horns. They lived in these monogamous couples and raised offspring, who had a long childhood lasting around ten years. Society The mulefa formed close-knit communities. Having but a single trunk each, they had to work together to accomplish tasks which a human with two hands could complete alone, such as tying knots to make nets. Grooming each other was a social custom. Technology Mulefa technology can be likened to that of stone-age humans. They crafted many things from wood, stone, shell and horn, but they made little use of metals, using it only for ornament. They constructed villages of wattle-and-daub huts. They knew how to use systems of ropes and pulleys to lift things, and used them to construct a platform for Mary Malone to observe the movements of Dust. Art Story-telling formed part of the mulefa culture. They had a legend about how consciousness came to them, in which a snake persuades a young female to put her spur into a seed-pod, which opens her mind to Dust. They told stories about their history, such as who first invented the fishing net and how he discovered the principle. They also had a great love story which could be likened to the Romeo and Juliet or Anthony and Cleopatra of Will's world. Notable mulefa *Atal *Sattamax Behind the scenes *Philip Pullman's inspiration for the Mulefa was revealed in the Independent in 2003: Phillip Pullman got the idea "from strolling round Lake Bled in Slovenia, where the constant rumble of overtaking skateboarders gave him the notion of 'Mulefa', elephant-like animals that use giant oiled seed pods as a means of locomotion"Nicolas Tucker, Philip Pullman: the Dæmon King, The Independent, 30 November 2003 Appearances *''The Amber Spyglass'' *''The Secret Commonwealth'' References it:Zalif pt-br:Mulefas fr:Mulefas ru:Мулефа Category:Mulefa Category:Species